Educating Yorkshire teacher ‘banned indefinitely’ from profession after having sex with two former pupils
Neil Giffin was found to have had relationships with two former students while teaching at Bishop Heber High School, Cheshire
Rose Troup Buchanan
Thursday 22 January 2015
A teacher who appeared in Channel 4’s award winning TV show Educating Yorkshire has been barred indefinitely from the profession after it emerged he had sex with two former pupils.
Neil Griffin, formerly head of humanities at Thornhill Community Academy, near Dewsbury, was found to have slept with two ex-pupils by the National College for Teaching and Leadership.
The 35-year-old teacher described his sexual fantasy to a pupil, writing on WhatsApp that she “looked good in tights” and he wanted to wear them.
He admitted to relationships with former pupils from Bishop Heber High School in Malpas, Cheshire.
A Cheshire council spokesperson, representing Bishop Heber High School, told The Independent the school was “absolutely devastated” by the news.
Mr Giffin taught at the institution for nine years, before moving to Thornhill Academy in 2012, which was the subject of a popular Channel 4 documentary. He was suspended last year on 24 January and resigned on 14 April.
Jonny Mitchell, headmaster of Thornhill Community Academy told The Independent: “Given what’s happen, we fully support an indefinite ban.”
Mr Giffin, second from right, with other teachers featured on Educating Yorkshire
He said as soon as events came to light, Mr Giffin had been suspended and had not returned on to school property. He continued: “There is a sense of sadness that it happened, but they are unfortunately not isolated incidents across the country at the present moment in time.”
Mr Mitchell reiterated that he felt “as a whole” the teaching profession was a “solid” one, with many individuals whose sole objective was further young peoples’ aspirations, but added that “unfortunately sometimes these things happen.”
The panel found that Mr Giffin had had sex with ‘Pupil D’ when she was over 18 years old. He started a relationship with the same pupil for “around six months” following her Year 13 summer ball and after she had left Bishop Heber, the panel heard.
The teacher had a sexual relationship with ‘Pupil E’, who he told the panel he met on a night out in Chester, but the relationship was not found “inappropriate” as there was no evidence the girl had attended the school while he taught there.
He also sent messages to further pupils, referred to by the panel as pupils A, B, C, over Facebook under various aliases and WhatsApp.
Bishop Heber High School
Mr Giffin asked 'Pupil A', described by the panel as a “vulnerable 17-year-old”, what other pupils thought of cross-dressing as well as telling her he was in a relationship.
In another series of messages Mr Giffin told the girl he was jealous of her wearing tights and described a sexual fantasy he had about her. He admitted that some of the messages were sent while he was intoxicated.
The panel found Mr Giffin’s “sexually motivated” conduct was unacceptable.
